The NonesWhen surveyors ask, “What is your religious affiliation?” one possible answers is “none.” According to the Pew Research Center, the ranks of the “nones” have ballooned in recent years. The fastest-growing religious affiliation is no affiliation! Between 1972 and 1989, about 7% of Americans identified themselves as having no religious affiliation, but between 1990 and 2012 that figure jumped to 19.6%. Among people under 30, just over 30% said they had no religious affiliation. Furthermore, the percent of the American population that identifies itself as Christian has steadily declined, while those who prefer some other religion has modestly grown.

If there is a silver lining in these scary statistics, it is that fewer than 15% consider themselves atheists and “nones”are still curious about spirituality. The “nones” reject organized religion, but they’re interested in spirituality.

The door to reaching these kinds of people may be closing, but it is not shut and if it is shut, it is not always locked. As in all presentations of the gospel, we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

If you meet someone whose door is closed, at least knock. You never know what you may find. If the person is so turned off to“religion” they do not wish to talk about it (their door is locked), don’t force the conversation. If the door is locked, don’t try to break it down. You will only damage the door. If you do get in, you will be shown the door. If, however, the door is shut but not locked, they may let you in for an amiable conversation. Don’t preach. Share. Telling them about your experience with the Lord is a good place to start. They may say, “That’s fine for you, but not for me,” but at least you may have planted the seed. It goes without saying that we should pray for people who live behind locked doors and people who live behind shut doors. Closed and locked doors do not prevent the Lord from entering. The problem is not that some doors are shut and that some doors are locked. The problem is we don’t knock. It seems to me, the number one reason believers do not talk to others about the Lord is fear. One of the great fears in evangelism is that somebody will ask a question we can’t answer. In the first place, that rarely happens. If you know anything at all about the Bible, you know many times more than they do. In the second place, if you don’t know the answer, you should say so. They will appreciate your honesty. Tell them that you will try to find the answer for them. Then ask knowledgeable Christians how they would answer that particular issue. Notice I said “Christians” (plural). If you asked several Christians, you may get several different answers. That’s good. You are then in the position to choose the answer you think best fits the situation. The pastor who led me to Christ was fond of saying,“Give people a chance to go to heaven.” If you don’t knock, you are shutting the door of opportunity for them. So ask, knock, seek and pray that the Lord will open the doors of their hearts (Acts 16:14).